Baldwin, Hall Greenback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
An immense improvement on what was a dinosaur drinking establishment rooted in the 70`s when it was quite acceptable to have a good old ding dong at the end of a pleasant evening of lager quaffing. Thankfully it`s more bog standard now, nothing outstanding but atleast the regulars have grown up or are on her majesties pleasure. Not my brand of boozer but communities need these places - praise the lord!
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I was somewhat surpised when a leaflet accompanying the local rag (which somehow passes for 'jounalism') was rammed through my letterbox informing me that The Baldwin had been 'transformed'; had reopened and were offering me the 'best in pub food at reasonable prices'. I admit, I was cynical at first.
The last time I had ventured into the place, the first thing I noticed was a big sign on the wall saying 'drugs banned in this pub'. Never a good sign. I felt the cold eyes of the clientele study and assess ever fibre of my being as I ordered a beer. Apprantly, having successfully met the criteria that I was not a CID man, they revereted to whatever unsavoury activity they were previously enagaged in. The decor was old an tired and the whole place had the feel of a rough sink-estate pub.
However, now I was rather suprised. I was served reasonably quickly at the bar, there was a 'standard' range of beers and the food tasted fine, and was reasonably priced. The garden out the back too is very nice, and overlooks the bowling green.
There was not one sign of the previous miscreants who had ruled this pub (if they were they were at least well behaved). The only annoying issue was the fact that there was many children running riot, although I did expect this to a certain extent being a 'family' pub. A remedy perhaps is the erection of a playground in the spacious yard out of the back, so the children can be kept segregated from the hardcore drinkers.
All in all, a good establishment. Geoffrey Chaucer would certainly have recognised the 'ragged and pitied folk' who consume robust quantities in the presence of their offpsring. In that sense, it serves its purpose.
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This pub has been done out lovely and has a really good outside area, i have visited the pub twice now, and on both occasions i have felt that the bar staff have been to procupied with themseleves rather than the customers. the first visit was in the afternoon and was very quite so not really any excuse. the second visit was last night admittedly it was very busy due to the weather, but yet again a very long wait to get served and rather than the bar staff coming to the customer we were asked to, can you come over here saves me having to come to you !!!!! apart from bad customer service everything eles was ok
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Reopening today, after an extensive refurb, as a "Hungry Horse" establishment.
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I'm sure everyone is worried Darren!
I would have to agree with the rest of the comments (Except Darren) this place is a hole!
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And if you want a slash you have to negoiate yourself past packs of rabid staffordshire bull terriers....`Don`t worry lovey he doesn`t bite.....`
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Always had a bit of a rep.
OK for a quick pint,but could get rough on weekends
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My name is Darren Twamley and i used to live in The Baldwin when i was young and i had shit loads of friends, ive lived in a lot of pubs in my time and The Baldwin was the best ive ever lived in so do NOT KNOCK THE BALDWIN ARMS
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The baldwins, the hub of the locality. all alleyways on the bad side of the stratford road lead to the baldwins roundabout. I know that this is true from extensive BMX exploration in the late eighties. So you can imagine my delight when my bad teenage moustach finaly developed to the stage where i could convince the slightly mutated bar staff at the baldwins pub i was 18 years old.
This pub is a living peice of history the building itself is listed. The architect, a mr Edwin Reynolds, designed this building in the 30's to look like half of the famous ship the queen mary. the other half of the ship is the three magpies in acocks green. God knows why they are so far apart? you would have thought that he would have done just one big pub that looked like the entire boat? Aallegedly he was a smack head.
despite it's historic and listed status this pub is UGLY and fits in to the drab vaguely run down surroundings of the area well. Also for some reason when you enter this pub you enter a space untouched by modern dentsitry. thats right, not one full set of teeth in there.
This pub has allways had a bad rep! the locals are of the rougher type and don't take kindly to outsiders! not sure what it is like now but at the weekends the whole place was literaly crawling with the smelly and rather grotty looking ofspring of the pubs gold nacklaced, tatooed necked clientel. so avoid at all costs if you dislike hoards of mini chavs
The last time i was in there (about 8 years ago) me, my brother, and a good friend partook in the quiz our team was called "phil Mcrack" we took on the locals. Needless to say we lost. as usual!
On the whole this pub and the people in it are an eyesore.
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Crap pub mainly full of urchins!
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